Hey y'all, I'm Danielle - the crazy behind this blog, where I share my creative life adventures as I survive life as a momma of 4 superheroes & wife to my best friend & fellow nerd. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be GREAT! You can reach me at danielle (at) busymomshelper.com - ABOUT -

Shamrock Shake

It’s that time of year again. Time for green food, green beer (for some) and green shakes! I read somewhere that the McDonalds Shamrock Shake has 57 ingredients! What?! It’s a shake, that seems like a lot! (that seems like a lot for any recipe) Don’t get me wrong, I love McDonalds just as much as the next person. I’m not really a fan of any fast food, but occasionally, it happens. Sometimes convenience wins. And nothing against their Shamrock Shake, it tastes great. But this one only has a few ingredients, and personally, I always vote for home made.

We’re not Irish, however, we are a family that loves to celebrate! St. Patricks day is the perfect excuse for a vanilla-y, minty, chocalate-y treat! YUM! Plus, bonus… It’s so easy to make!! Just five ingredients if you count the garnish, the shake itself just three. Oh I love easy!

Since my kids were quite young, we’ve made it a tradition to have a shamrock shake on St. Patricks day. They always look forward to it. I’m a believer in ‘everything in moderation’, so while this isn’t healthy, per se, it is a treat that is simple, easy and festive.

One thing I like to do when we are having treats, is make sure we make up the healthy in another area. So we’ll make sure we have plenty of nutrition in our dinner or lunch that day. Shepherd’s Pie is one of our favorite Irish-type meals. I love it because it’s all-inclusive. You got your meat and veggies and starch all in one dish. And, you can make it ahead of time and cook it when you’re ready. Serve it with some fruit and dinner. is. done.

And don’t think this recipe is just for the kids… grown ups will love it too!

Presidents Day Dessert

Celebrate Presidents day with an easy and healthy dessert! What?! Celebrate Presidents day? Who does that? Well, the government does for one. Often, government employees are off, and if you’re kids are as excited about getting the mail as mine, they’ll tell you there’s no mail that day. Technically, it is a National holiday. Many schools are closed that day.

3 Reasons to celebrate

But why celebrate? Whether your kids are home with you, or in school during the day, life is filled with teachable moments. As far as schooling goes, we homeschool, AND we public school. I never thought I’d be doing both, but that’s another topic. When we wrestled with what was best for each child, my heart didn’t want to send them away all day. But, what I realized is just because they’re not with me all day doesn’t mean I’m not involved in their lives. So we make the most of each moment we have. And we love learning! So why not learn about Presidents day?

When my kids were younger, and I was trying to make it through Michigan winters (cold, gray, dreary, mundane, did I mention cold?), I would look for opportunities to celebrate, which would make those dreary days more exciting. For example, we celebrated ground hogs day for a couple of years. My now older children, still ask me “what are we doing for groundhogs day?”

Lastly, it’s an excuse to eat dessert!! Haha! But you can feel good about this presidents day dessert, because it’s good for you. Greek yogurt, anti-oxidant berries, and no sugar added makes this the perfect treat. So let’s recap:

Celebrate Presidents Day because~

It’s a teachable moment

It makes an ordinary day extraordinary

It’s a good excuse for dessert

Not sure what to say about Presidents Day? Here’s some resources made for kids:

Parfaits are super easy to make! All you do is choose your ingredients and layer them in a jar or dish of your choice. In the recipe I’ve put approximate measurements to make 1 parfait. You really just want to layer the yogurt and the fruit, so when you’re making this, just do what looks best to you. It could vary depending on the size jar or dish you are using. In our family, the kids love getting their own jar to eat out of. I don’t know why, but they think that is awesome. You can make these up ahead of time and store them in the fridge. This would also make a great breakfast or snack!

It’s not yet Valentine’s Day, yet I’m seeing random Easter items already popping up in stores. While a part of me is like ‘really, already?’ – another part is like ‘Cadbury Eggs? YES PLEASE!’ While other people go crazy for the jelly beans, I’m all about the Cadbury stuff, and have been since I was little! Last Easter my mom even sent me a package with a TON of them – she’s just awesome like that 🙂 To get a little creative, let’s give this oldie-but-goodie a fresh share: Cadbury Creme Milkshake!

Adapted from Chocolatemoosey.com

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Did you know we’re now on Yummly? It’s such a neat place where all you do is ‘Yum’ the recipes you want to keep track of – on ours just check out the purple ‘YUM’ circle to the left. Easy-peasy, right? Be sure to yum all your favorite recipes!

When I first tried this recipe version, we’d just moved to Texas (this was in early 2013) and our old blender didn’t make it. I guess there’s plenty of other things that would be worse to lose in a move! Anywho, we had to buy a crappy blender just to get by – but NOW I have this amazing Nutri Ninja® Auto-iQ Pro Compact System that takes on my most challenging blender tasks! I highly recommend it for this creamy milkshake.

There are technically three ‘steps’ for this Cadbury Creme Milkshake: 1. The fondant cream 2. the whipped cream and 3. the milkshake. Of course, you CAN skip the homemade whipped cream and use store bought, if you’d like!

Fondant Cream

4 tbsp. Corn syrup

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar

In a bowl, beat the corn syrup and butter until smooth. Add vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Beat until well-mixed. Set aside.

Whipped Cream

1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup Powdered sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Beat the whipping cream until it starts to thicken, usually a few minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Milkshake

2 cups Chocolate ice cream

1/4-1/2 cup Milk

Cadbury egg (optional)

In a blender, blend these (except optional egg) with the fondant cream until smooth. Pour into a glass, top with the whipped cream, and, if desired, crack the Cadbury egg on top as garnish (and more Cadbury egg deliciousness). Enjoy!!!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who believes that apple pie is a completely acceptable breakfast! Anyone else? I’m not saying I’d give it to myself (or my kids) very often – but if we have some of this fresh baked Apple Crumb Cake around, I’ll definitely enjoy it at least ONCE for breakfast….okay, maybe twice.

Whether you like your apple cake warm, cold or the perfect room temperature – you’re bound to enjoy this delish recipe that’s easy to make! I whipped this up first around Thanksgiving (remember when I went crazy with the desserts that month?) and it was the perfect combo of cinnamon & apple goodness.

Ingredients – crumble

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 cup Butter, melted

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Apple, large, peeled & diced

Ingredients – apple cake

4 tbsp. Butter, soft

1/2 cup Sugar

1 Egg, large

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 Apple, large, peeled and diced

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

Ingredients – glaze

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

2 tbsp. Apple Cider

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray an 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cake: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the egg and beat well, then mbeat in the vanilla and sour cream until smooth. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and apples until well-combined. Add to the butter mixture and stir lightly just until combined. Spread half the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan (will be a very thin layer, don’t worry).

Crumble: In a bowl, whisk all of the crumble ingredients until combined and moist. Sprinkle about 1 cup over the layer in the baking pan. Add the remaining cake batter, then top off with the remaining crumble.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the outside of the springform pan.

Glaze: whisk together the apple cider and powdered sugar, then drizzle over the cake. Enjoy warm or cold. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Is it bad that I’m THRILLED Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year? I’d rather Saturday, but as long as it’s a weekend I feel like hubby and I can really relax. No pressure to go out, just be at home with the family, making yummy food ourselves. I whipped up these Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls last week and he loves them so much, he’s already requesting them again!

Don’t they look amazing? A perfect flavor combo of red velvet, cinnamon filling and a cream cheese frosting drizzle on top. It’s seriously the perfect Valentine’s Day breakfast – and the best part? You can make it ahead of time to avoid the morning rush! That’s right, make it the day before, store it in the fridge overnight, then just bake and enjoy. I love easy overnight breakfast recipes!

To whip up these yourself, just head on over to Thirty Handmade Days where I’m sharing the recipe! And you know what? If you choose to have these for dessert, too, I won’t tell anyone – we did that, too!

It’s apparent by the red and pink filled aisles at the store that Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us, whether we’re ready or not. With everything hubby and I have going on right now, we plan to just be mellow and relax a bit together – but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy these super delicious Dr Pepper Cheesecake Shooters for a special Valentine’s dessert!

Not only do these pudding desserts look fun and festive, but they have a perfect blend of cheesecake and pudding flavor – topped with a cute chocolate-covered strawberry, of course! I think that’s my one tradition for Valentine’s day (other than spending time with hubby) – the chocolate-covered strawberries, plus sparkling cider. Give me those, a comfy blanket and my hottie for a relaxing evening in and I’m all set!

Ingredients

12 oz. White Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

3/4 cup Dr Pepper

8 oz. (1 package) Cream Cheese, softened

1 regular box Vanilla Instant pudding (or Cheesecake)

Red food coloring

Crushed graham crackers

Sprinkles for garnish, if desired

Chocolate-covered strawberry for topping, if desired

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat the white chocolate chips and heavy cream over low heat. Stir occasionally until it’s smooth, keeping over low heat so it doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dr Pepper, then allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Once cooled, beat the white chocolate mixture with the cream cheese, pudding and little red food coloring (if desired) until it’s all creamy. Place in the fridge about 10 minutes.

Prepare your cups: if your glasses have empty stems like mine did, you can add some sprinkles for a more festive look. At the base of the cup scoop some graham cracker crumbs (about 1-2 tbsp).

Scoop some pudding mixture into each cup, topping off with a strawberry. Store, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge until serving.

Check out these other yummy desserts…

I’m a sucker for a delish pudding cookie. Seriously – if we have any in the house, they don’t last long, much to the dismay of my ‘less sweets’ goal! They’re really easy to switch up with new flavors, so after Santa brought us a LOT of chocolate oranges in our stockings for Christmas, Hubby thought we should try adding those to cookies. Genius! These Chocolate Orange Cookies are super simple to make, and have the perfect amount of amazing flavor in every bite!

For those that follow this blog regularly, you probably heard that Hubby doesn’t like most chocolate. Weird, I know, but hey – more for me. He LOVES chocolate oranges, though – to the point that he jokes about cancelling Christmas if he doesn’t get any chocolate oranges. Needless to say, I make certain that Santa doesn’t forget any in his stocking!

You can whip up these yummy pudding cookies super fast – and it’s so nice to make an extra big batch then freeze the extras. Whenever you have a cookie craving, just nab one out of the freezer bag and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks Butter, softened

3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Small Package INSTANT Vanilla Pudding (3.4 oz)

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 Chocolate Orange, crushed into bits

Note: makes about 32 cookies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line a couple baking sheets, then set aside.

Use a fork (or mixer) to ‘smoosh’ the Butter, both Sugars and Pudding together well. Add the Eggs and Vanilla, mix until combined. Then add the Flour and Baking Soda, mix until well combined. Stir in the Chocolate Orange bits.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until barely starting to brown on the edges. Remove, and ENJOY!!!

These moist treats and a hit with the whole family! Next year I plan to buy extra chocolate oranges early so I can whip up a few batches of the pudding cookies and give as gifts – the perfect festive dessert to please everyone!

I love adding an extra dose of ‘spice’ during the holidays! No, not the HOT kind of spice, the cinnamony type that you can’t help but think of Thanksgiving, Christmas or any of those special times of year. This delish Holiday Spice Fruit Salad is just that, and makes the perfect side to any holiday meal!

I not only love the mix of flavors in this dish, such as the tangy apples and sweet grapes mixed with a creamy drizzle of sauce, but also that it’s SUPER simple to make, especially if you incorporate your family to help chop the fruits and mix the dressing!

Ingredients

1 medium Pear, diced

1 cup Red Grapes, cut in half

2 medium Apples, diced

4 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

1/3 cup Yogurt (vanilla is great, but feel free to switch it up)

2 tbsp. Honey

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

1/3 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Directions

Toss the fruit and nuts in a large bowl gently. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over the fruit and again toss gently to coat evenly. Best if served immediately!

We had this back at Thanksgiving, and it was a hit – especially for the kids who LOVE fruit! They even said ‘can I have that one fruit dessert’? Haha – if I can convince them it’s a dessert, then that’s a win to me!

What’s YOUR favorite fruit side dish for a holiday meal?

Merry Christmas, Mamas! Today I’m sharing a Kid-Friendly Christmas Cake-Topper that you and your kiddos can enjoy making, just in time for the special day!

I’m Lynn, from Riggstown Road, and if your life is anything like mine, you have some enthusiastic little helpers when it comes to baking Christmas goodies. So it’s nice when the things we’re making are easy for little hands. (Side-note: At this point, my helpers are becoming better at this stuff than I am. And I am totally ok with that.) 😉 This cake-topper is easy enough for your preschoolers to participate in, fun enough for your older kids to enjoy, and special enough for all of them to feel proud of.

All you need are 3 simple ingredients to create a winter wonderland of trees on top of your favorite cake.

INGREDIENTS

1 box ice cream SUGAR CONES

1 container fluffy WHITE ICING

1 container sparkling white sugar SPRINKLES

DIRECTIONS

Prepare your cake with white icing.

Carefully cut some of the cones to different sizes for different sized trees. (I used a tomato slicing knife.)

Let kids spread icing on the cones, covering completely.

Help kids gently place the “trees” in the “snow” on top of the cake.

Kids can sprinkle the sugar crystals all over the trees and the top of the cake to create “ice” crystals.

Now stand back and admire the prettiness!

Cute enough for company, and trust me, this is waaay easier than decorating cookies!

As you can see, we weren’t too concerned with the rest of our (delicious) cake, but I loved it in all its messy glory. I called it a snow-covered mountain, but the girls were a little unsure about that. They seemed more impressed with their trees. I think sprinkling the sugar was the part that was the most fun for them. It was the, ahem, icing on the cake. 😉

Ever watch Polar express and see the hot chocolate scene and think how amazing that hot chocolate has to be? Every time I watch Polar Express I have to have hot chocolate and now have a recipe for Polar Express Hot Chocolate that is amazing!

This recipe is pretty simple but it does take longer than sticking a cup of water in the microwave and pouring in a packet. This recipe is also very versatile where you can take out things or adjust it to your liking, like when I am in a hurry I will usually just mix a little heavy whipping cream, milk, and hot cocoa mix together. With this recipe you can also have a fun hot chocolate party with your kids or in my case my sister and friends. So try it out, change it up, but grab a cup and the movie Polar Express and enjoy!

Ingredients:

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

½ can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)

¾ cup milk chocolate chips (make sure they are milk because semi and dark make it not so sweet)

Put all ingredients in a medium pot (except for toppings) and stir until chocolate chips are melted. Can also put in a slow cooker.

Once melted take off burner and let cool for 20 – 30 minutes or faster if you put it in the fridge. Usually getting it all melted boils the liquid and no one wants to burn their tongue so just make sure it’s not boiling when you try or your kids try to drink it.

Pour hot chocolate into a cup and top with desired toppings and enjoy!

Polar Express Cupcakes

Now we have our drink for the movie and you can’t watch a movie without some kind of treat. These Polar Express Cupcakes are perfect for those with a sweet tooth. These cupcakes also carry a little surprise in the middle of them.

I use a basic betty crocker cupcake recipe and a vanilla cream cheese frosting, but really you can use whatever recipe you like.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup hot water

2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

¾ cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 bag large marshmallows

Toppings:

Candy canes

Mini chocolate chips

Mini marshmallows

Mini candy canes

Christmas sprinkles

Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

1 – 4 tablespoons milk (I usually end up using just over 2 tablespoons)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350⁰ F. Place cupcake liners into cooking sheet.

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder together and set aside. Mix hot water and cocoa together until dissolved; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening until creamy, then slowly add sugar about ¼ cup at a time beating well and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.

Alternating between flour mixture and cocoa mixture slowly add to the mixing bowl and mix until well combined.

Cut 12 marshmallows in half and place in the middle of each cupcake, you don’t have to press them all the way down.

Bake 20 – 25 minutes. Marshmallows will have mostly dissolved and look messy but that’s ok because they’ll be covered.

Once you pull the cupcakes out place 1 marshmallow into the crater or you could just place a half marshmallow.

Place cupcakes back into oven for about 3 – 5 minutes just until marshmallows get softened.

Pull out and let cool completely, very important they are cool before you start frosting.

Frosting directions

Place butter in a mixing bowl and cream. Add cream cheese and mix until full combined and smooth.

Add vanilla and powdered sugar and blend on low until fluffy.

Slowly add milk a little at a time until the right consistency.

Beat until fluffy, about 1 – 2 minutes

Decorate! Frost the cupcakes, then add any toppings you would like. To finish it off place a mini candy cane on the side for a “Handle” for a nice Hot Chocolate Cupcake! Try adding ¼ teaspoon mint extract to the cupcakes or frosting for a nice mint flavor!

Hello, and Happy Holidays! This is Stephanie from Steph in Thyme, and today I’m sharing a classic Christmas cookie recipe my family has been baking since I can remember…but modified gluten-free.

This recipe is barely adapted from the Super Spritz Cookie recipe that came with my mom’s Super Spritz electronic cookie press she’s had as long as I can remember (we’re talking 20+ years).

Simple, buttery sugar cookies pressed into a flower design, the centers filled with raspberry jam (with the seeds!). Such a lovely and festive addition to a holiday cookie tray or gift plate. My sisters and I had the job of carefully placing a bit of jam in the center of each cookie, cautious not to overfill as the jam will spill over and fill the cracks of the petals.

My sisters and I had the job of carefully placing a bit of jam in the center of each cookie, cautious not to overfill as the jam will spill over and fill the cracks of the petals.

In place of regular flour, I used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour is another great gluten-free baking mix. When I use these gluten-free flour mixes in my Christmas cookies, I can’t notice the difference.

I used a cookie press by OXO Good Grips to create the little flower designs. Simple to assemble, use, and clean. A great find at Bed Bath & Beyond.

These gluten-free Christmas sugar cookies are a fun wintery activity with kids. Have fun, and Happy Holidays!

Cream the butter with an electric stand mixer or hand mixer. Add the sugar a little bit at a time as you continue to run the mixer, beating until creamed, fluffy, and light.

Add the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt. Mix well to combine.

Add the flour 1/3 at a time, mixing well in between until a stiff dough forms.

Assemble and fill the cookie press. Press floral design cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Using a chopstick or something similar, create a small hole in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with about 1/8 tsp raspberry jam.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes until very lightly golden brown. They overbake and turn brown quickly, so keep a close eye at the 7 minute mark!

This post is sponsored by Acorn Influence & DASANI Water. All opinions are mine alone.

Do you enjoy wrapping gifts? I seriously LOVE it! Since I make a big deal, almost party-level, about our Christmas wrapping, I thought it’d be from to make it even more ‘magical’ with these TWO delicious and easy-to-make drink recipes: Pomegranate Lemonade & Fruity Sparkle! No alcohol, so even your kids can enjoy these bubbly beverages!

I can’t remember how long ago we started, but it was a tradition for my mom and I (sometimes my dad, unless he was able to find a good excuse to avoid it) to lock ourselves in her room – or the heated garage – and spend hours wrapping EVERYTHING at once. It was so fun listening to music, picking which fun wrapping paper for each gift, checking off lists, and chatting with her. Fun food and drinks was always required – and this year I grabbed a few flavors of DASANI Sparkling Water from Walmart to help me out!

This is the 3rd Christmas since we moved to Texas and I’ve been unable to do a big wrapping party with my mom. I’ll admit, it’s one of those traditions that I dearly miss! Now my ‘parties’ are smaller, since it’s just us, but I still make it a big deal. This year my girl even got to help (not with HER presents, of course!) and we had a really great time! Just one more way you can make the holiday SPARKLE this season is by making even the wrapping part fun, social and TASTY!

The reason I wanted to use DASANI Sparkling Water was not only the amazing taste and bubble, but it’s the perfect mixer because it’s unsweetened, there’s zero calories, and no artificial colors or caffeine. There’s 4 yummy flavors (in 12 packs of 12 oz. cans) to choose from: Lime, Berry, Lemon and Black Cherry.

Pomegranate Lemonade

Ingredients

12 oz. can DASANI Sparkling Water – Lemon

2-3 tbsp. Pomegranate Juice

1 tbsp. Lime Juice

2-3 tbsp. Heavy Cream

Directions: Pour the sparkling water into a tall glass, then add the other ingredients and stir. Enjoy while still cold and sparkling (aka bubbly)!

Fruity Sparkle

Ingredients – makes 2

12 oz. can DASANI Sparkling Water – Berry

9 oz. Mango Nectar Juice

2-3 tbsp. Heavy Cream

2 tbsp. Lime Juice

Directions: Mix all of the ingredients together, then divide into two tall glasses. Enjoy the creamy, smooth flavor!

Note: you CAN leave out the heavy cream for a stronger fruit flavor.

I can’t wait for another Christmas when I can have a wrapping party with my mom – and I’ll be sure to share these drink recipes with her, too! Because the best way to add more magic to a holiday is by making the MEMORIES – like our wrapping craziness!